Lincoln’s giantkillers make FA Cup history
NOT since Europe stood on the brink of the First World War 103 years ago has a non-League team made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
That all changed yesterday afternoon, when lowly Lincoln City beat Premier League Burnley to progress to the next round. The 1-0 victory away from home sparked scenes of jubilation rarely experienced if you are a Lincoln supporter.
The Conference side not only overshadowed Millwall, who knocked out Premier League champions Leicester City yesterday, but their achievement has barely been surpassed in the history of the game. Queen’s Park Rangers played in the Southern League when they reached the last eight of the Cup in 1914, but have spent most of the past century in the top two divisions. Lincoln dropped out of the Football League six years ago and play to crowds of 3,000.
Hero for the Imps was Sean Raggett, who headed home in the 89th minute to send fans and his team-mates into delirium. The centre back, 23, started his semi-professional career at Dover Athletic, making his debut in 2013.
Lincoln manager Danny Cowley, a PE teacher at a local secondary school 12 months ago, said: “It’s a football miracle. The boys were excellent. We thought if we could get the game plan right we could compete.”
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